PRO BASKETBALL; Carter Has No Degree Of Regret, Just Resolve

By JASON DIAMOS

Published: March 22, 2005

Some people may think Vince Carter wants nothing more than to forget his last playoff experience.

Carter is not one of them.

''If I had to do it again, I would,'' Carter said Monday, referring to his decision to attend his graduation at the University of North Carolina on May 20, 2001.

After the ceremony, Carter flew to Philadelphia to play for the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals that afternoon.

To cap off a whirlwind day, Carter, who had carried the upstart Raptors to a first-round upset of the Knicks, missed the potential winning shot at the buzzer.

Carter, who completed his degree in African-American studies through correspondence courses after leaving college to enter the N.B.A. draft in 1998, was criticized by some for skirting his role as team leader.

''Some people look at it as a bad thing,'' Carter said. ''I look at it as a good thing. It was a proud moment for me. In my family, graduating from college is important.

''There was nothing bad about that in my mind. I don't think I did anything wrong. I was there on time. I accomplished both goals.''

Carter's goal this season is to help lead the Nets into the playoffs. He helped his team's cause Sunday with 39 points and 11 rebounds in a 94-85 victory over the Pacers in Indianapolis.

Heading into Tuesday night's rematch at Continental Arena, the Nets (31-36) have won five of six games to pull a game and a half behind Philadelphia for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Orlando, which is a game ahead of the Nets after losing to Charlotte on Monday, 102-97, will be without guard Steve Francis for one more game after the N.B.A. suspended him for three on Monday for kicking a courtside photographer Friday at Seattle.

The Nets' victory over the Pacers, tying their season high of four in a row, enabled them to pull to three games behind seventh-place Indiana. Jermaine O'Neal, the Pacers' best player, is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

The Nets, who have 15 games remaining, have another meeting with Indiana after Tuesday, and one more each with Philadelphia and Orlando.

''It would be great to get back into the playoffs and basically start over,'' Carter said.

''Vince is playing at a very, very high level,'' Coach Lawrence Frank said. ''The key is maintaining that edge. Last night, you could see it. And he delivered.''

The Nets are 5-0 the past five times Carter has scored 30 or more points, something he has done three times during the four-game winning streak. The Nets are 11-4 when Carter scores 30 or more points.

Since the Nets obtained Carter, a 28-year-old swingman, from Toronto, he has averaged 26.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 42 games. In 62 games this season, Carter has averaged 22.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Over the past four games, Carter has made 43 of 77 field-goal attempts (55.8 percent) after a three-game shooting slump in which he shot 17 of 57 (29.8 percent) from the field.

The slump began in San Antonio on March 8, when Carter injured his shooting hand.